TikTok Shouldn’t Need to Be Pushed This Hard to Protect Kids
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following months of pressure from European regulators, TikTok has finally banned the “#SkinnyTok” hashtag globally after widespread criticism that it promoted dangerous body-shaming content to teens and children. The hashtag had become a hotbed for extreme dieting videos and pro-anorexia material.
In response, J.B. Branch, Big Tech accountability advocate at Public Citizen, released the following statement:
“This is too little, too late. TikTok made a fortune off content that put kids’ mental health at risk. Then they quietly removed it only after regulators turned up the heat. Time and again we see the same thing: Platforms and Big Tech companies like TikTok have to be vigorously pushed and shamed into taking basic safety steps to protect kids instead of doing the decent and responsible thing on their own.
“We can’t rely on corporate goodwill to protect children from algorithmically amplified harm. The fact is controversial trends like “#SkinnyTok” means big bucks for social media companies. It’s time for Congress to pass binding legislation that puts guardrails around addictive design, algorithmic exploitation, and data abuse targeting kids. Until then, Big Tech will keep choosing profits over public health and our kids will keep paying the price.”